LinSmargiassi

You already know the things that caused you to gain weight..You are well on your way!
I hate change as well, but when I gained all that weight I changed then too...Now I am going to let the smaller but stronger me out and kick ass!
Go girl go!!!!

Phew... you know i had look after reading that title
Very nice blog !!

I kind of think the shock of surgery and your inability to eat much at all in the early stages REALLY helps jumpstart the weight loss, enough to WANT to see it through. Just after surgery, I am happy to say that I lost all my hunger, it was very freaky, but I had to force myself to drink all the required fluids and get my protein in - which I managed. As you move toward pureed and soft foods, you start to "normalize" and look forward to your small meals, and going slow is the only way to manage it, you can eat maybe 1/2 cup total. Hitting solids and opening the door to most foods is where the real challenges begin. If you track your intake, you can see what works and what doesn't and for most a lower carb diet helps the body burn FAT. Add exercise, lose more weight and you start to feel you have endurance and strength. I used to hate to walk accross the street from the parking lot to my office and now I can and do walk for miles. I change up my diet regularly so I don't get bored. I am trying to break a stall now, and so only consuming 40 grams of carbs - that means no bread/tortillas/sweets/potatoes or rice...so I snack on salami & cheese and black olives and for dinner I may eat a hamburger patty or a piece of fish and a vegetable...then I have a sugar free snack in the evening...breakfast is a small omelette or an Atkins protein bar or cottage cheese and fruit, like pears or pineapple. I get full very easy and I feel satiated. That is the main difference eating about 1/3 of your old capacity. I want this to work, and so I work it, but truly, there is no way I could consume a double cheeseburger/fries & a coke at a sitting. I might be able to handle one slider and I will be totally full. I feel happy to be looking so much better and can no longer fit in a 3X or 4X - I easily wear a size 14 now and still have about 45 pounds to lose, but after losing 85 pounds, oh yeah, I feel wonderful!!

I find it so informing and frankly, so interesting to hear how the stories of us who are overweight/obese are as varied as our lives and challenges. We all got here differently - no matter that the math is the same, you know what I mean?
I think I'm an emotional eater, but I'm not sure. You know how people go out and celebrate with a dinner at the close of a successful project or effort? I've certainly participated in that often enough, but not like having a party of one or anything like that. I do often notice though that I fly out the door without thinking about food and then I'm out and it's like, "^%! I forgot to eat"! So I end up grabbing something I shouldn't most often... a chocolate shake or a diet coke and sandwich. I never drink sugary drinks, ironically - but then i'll have a chocolate shake for a meal. That just doesn't work. So, I lack the ability or desire to plan. I don't want to think about food. I don't love to cook and I don't want to be in the kitchen for hours on end.
I do, however, want to go parasailing, snow tubing, ATV'ing, and sky-kiting during my lifetime. Last year I had to have a total knee replacement, and within the next year I may need to have the other knee done (in addition to this sleeve surgery) because I have a devastating form of Rheumatoid Arthritis. That surgery was EXTREMELY painful and the pain lasted for months because of the way it had to be done on me. I'm thinking this surgery (VSG) will be easy by comparison, but getting my mind to cooperate is going to be the challenge.
Thanks for all your input. Mucho appreciado!

Hello,
I was on the pre-op diet for 1.5 months. I was good and only ate what they said I could eat and I got rid of 30 lbs. My co-workers wanted to know why I didn't just stay on the pre-op until I lost all the weight that I wanted to. My answer to them was because I wouldn't stay with it. I know me. I love to eat. I'm a chocoholic. I knew that I would only be able to control staying away from sweets for so long. Besides, I'm also an emotional eater and I always gave in to the emotions. I wouldn't stay on protein shakes and chicken broth.
Your breakfast sounds like mine except I ate a whole banana. I could make a pan of Hamburger Helper and eat half of it. People had said 'eat to live not live to eat' but I knew that wasn't me. I didn't live to eat. Wrong. The first day of my pre-op diet was horrible. I was in a panic by the end of the day. I kept telling myself that it wasn't worth going thru this. That was the moment that I realized I was living to eat. from then on it was easier. I prayed often for strength.
My tastes changed after the surgery and that's ok. I won't tempt myself by trying a pastry or a piece of Hershey candy. It's only been two months since my surgery so I want to wait until I know my willpower is strong.
As mentioned above there isn't much room in your sleeve. I was having a very hard time at first getting enough protein down because it wouldn't fit. Then I found the protein shots at Wal-Mart and that solved the problem.
As mentioned above it is a mind-set. Once I made up my mind I was ready to have the sleeve...didn't want the others...I was determined. I don't crave anything yet and I hope I don't. I can sit and watch my friends eat turtle cheesecake and not want any. I love being able to do that. I love being able to walk.
You will know when you are ready to take the step for surgery. I had to try another stab at Weight Watchers and that lasted maybe two weeks. I knew I was ready for this emotionally and physically.
Good luck in your journey. I have found that the people on here are great about answering questions that I have.

These are all very genuine concerns to have. The surgery won't fix the sweet tooth - YOU have to do that. The sleeve is a tool - much like a hammer. The hammer can't build a house, but it can make it easier. This is not a magical process. You have to do the work. The sleeve facilitates portion control - you have to decide what you're going to do with that portion control. There's more work than laying on the table involved.
I can say that after the sleeve, my body only craves protein. I didn't have much of a sweet tooth before, and I really haven't got one now. When you get down to brass tax, the body will tell you what it needs. Its up to you to listen to it.

I'm three months post-op and have lost 30 pounds. My doctor thinks this is too slow but I nicely told him he was full of beans. The first six weeks the weight came off quickly because I was healing and eating very little. Once I was ready for real food, the weight loss slowed. I find that I still have the old habits and mindset about food that made me overweight in the first place. It's going to take time to make new habits. My smaller stomach means that while I adjust my mind, my body keeps working at losing weight. I'm eating at least half of what I use to eat; most days I have around 1000 calories. I've had to buy smaller clothes. People tell me I look good. What the scale says is only one measure of success. I take it one meal, one day at time. I get better every day at making the best choice. If I never lose another pound I will be happy--because I have stopped the inevitable progression of gaining more weight until I am dead. I feel liberated!

There is only so much room in the sleeve for food....and if you don't fill it with good stuff like protein, water, veggies and fruit.......then you will be sick...The surgery has also removed the chemical in your body that tells you you are hungry even if you are not truly hungry......eating 5 or 6 meals a day will seem like you are eating all the time.....that is at least what I have been told.......pre-surgery myself here...I think that the sleeve makes you more cautious to eat properly and not out of the desire just to eat for what ever reason....I have a problem with pasta and sweets as well....they are my comfort foods........neither of those will help me in my journey to a smaller me....
People say all the time that the surgery changes your likes and dislikes for certain foods......I hope I really hate sugar...lol.......
I also know how easy it is to roller coaster diet..that is how I got to be this big....for once and for all.....I will do this and for all the right reasons......I will be able to use this tool to help me stick to it and not gain it all back and more......
It is all a mind set....we don't like food to go bad...because we were taught that others did not have as much as we did...so eat up..it stays with us....we have to change our thinking and put food in its rightful place...to nurture our bodies ....not our pain, desires and emotions......
I have always controlled what I ate and how much...I will still be in control....for the process of losing all of this.....I still have the power and I plan on using it to help me to continue to grow into a better me....better place and finally put the real power where it belongs.......to eat to live not live to eat.......
I could not do it before..too many issues....wasn't ready........really had to work on a lot of stuff to get here...now I am here and forward ho I say....engage!!!!!!!
Good luck to you....

It very well could be. You know those éclairs that the grocery store has - the ones at the bakery? They come in a plastic container w/ about 5 large ones? Ya - they are also tasteless. Well, when I am having a bad day or an emotional one - I find myself at the grocery store - buying them - eating them in the car on the way home - then throwing the box away before going inside – then becoming upset that I ate them all. I have done this about 20+ times in the last 19 years. It wasn't until I was in therapy that I realized it was a connection to my mom. When I was younger, we used to go to a real bakery, and she would share an éclair with me. I guess it was my way of re-connecting with her subconsciously.

Well,complex carbs are more than just bread.The thing about the losing phase at least is this.You have about 6 months to maximize your weight loss.After that it slows down sooo much.To use those six months optimally you have to cut your carbs a lot.Bread is one thing that doesnt sit that well in the sleeve anyway in the beginning.Yam,sweet potato (those orange ones) they are great complex carbs.But do let go of the feelings about the bread.60g of protein is the minimum anyone should have per day.How much do you have at the moment?Have you tried tracking to see?
My friend had a kidney transplant and she is diabetic.She still loves food and she doesnt do so much proteins but she doesnt do a lot of carbs either. (I can see when her sugar is about to crash,thats when she will grab these slices of bread and db jam..lol) she loves making salad with qinoa or couscous with feta cheese and lettuce with sweetpotato,olives tomatoes....that type of thing was my staples for the first few months after my surgery.However,I had to cut carbs more now as the weight loss have slowed down.Do discuss this with your NUT.
But you cannot have an emosional attatchment to bread.Thats the type of thing that got us overweight in the first place.And you will be able to eat bread again.In controlled portions every now and then.It cannot be your "go to" thing in the future though.
Does this make sense to you?I was such a bread lover.All kinds of wonderful bread.And I loved butter..still do.But the bread doesnt do it for me anymore and I would rather have a melba toast with a little butter once in a blue moon now.
Good luxk on your journey.

I have not had bread since early June and I don't miss it one bit. I was like you about breads and pasta. I wasn't sure I could give them up but I don't even want them. I bought some flatouts to make little open face tuna melts...but I just prefer the tuna. I do eat some carbs but not very many. I have Fiber One cereal some times and last night I had a turkey roast and a little baked sweet potato.
It's really not about what you give up..it's about all you gain. I have lost 73 lbs from my highest weight and a lady stopped me going down the hall at work yesterday and said. "You sure do look good..you have lost a lot of weight but not only that your countenance looks different...you look happier". I told her I am a lot happier and more confident...giving up bread was definantly worth that! I love my sleeve and I am sooooo happy I have it!
I can't wait until I am at goal...I didn't give up anything but being fat!

Happy Monday!! Having the right group (surgeon, nutritionist, office) behind you can make a huge difference. Good luck!!

Sounds like you have found it! I am so grateful my surgical team is helpful before and after...and have seminars twice a month to attend to keep on track! Good luck to you!